Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring: A Patient Empowerment Project

Hypertension is a public health issue estimated to affect 112 million adults by 2030. Primary care patients in an outpatient clinic in Southern California with elevated blood pressure readings in the office did not have an organized system for close follow-up. The purpose of this evidence-based project (EBP) was to educate patients on self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), diet interventions, and healthy weight loss to improve hypertension rates. Through these interventions, patients developed an understanding of their systolic and diastolic blood pressure goals. Nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and licensed vocational nurses screened for high blood pressure at each visit. Patients with an average of three blood pressure readings of greater than 130/80 received 5 minutes of direct patient education on SMBP supplemented with handouts. In addition, bi-weekly guided telephone outreach was conducted to reinforce teaching. Nine patients were enrolled in the EBP from September-January 2021. There was an average systolic blood pressure reduction of 22.8 mmHg and 12.6 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure among patients over two weeks period of pre and post educational interventions. Downstream effects included reduced costs and hospitalization rates for uncontrolled hypertension. Future research should focus on optimal telehealth timeframes to ensure that patients are not lost to follow-up